Running On Empty
by Mable
Summary: ARI Nightmares #2: Michael and Eggs have to deal with a Funtime Freddy whose been terrorizing a teenage girl, but will they be able to do so before she's swallowed whole?


**Mable: This is a sequel and/or continuation of Skin Deep. It's not necessary to read Skin Deep, but you might want to if you want to follow the series. Enjoy!**

* * *

_ARI Nightmares #2: _

_**Running On Empty**_

* * *

It was just after midnight when the footsteps started to approach her room. She was still awake- after days of this it had gotten to the point where she couldn't just pretend to ignore it and sleep- but laying with her covers up to her neck and her wide eyes staring through the dark at the bedroom door. A teenage girl rendered to the state of a fearful child as she waited for what was coming.

That was when the doorknob started to turn. Just like the night before when it had finally learned how to turn it. Both times the door was locked, and she held her breath as it continued to try and twist the knob to get inside. Last night it had given up quickly, but it soon became apparent that this time it wouldn't lose interest as easy. It started to turn the doorknob quicker and shake the door, which creaked under its strength.

The moaning and squeaking of metal could be heard through the wood as it continued trying to get in. She choked in a gasp of air and continued to stare in panic, hoping that the lock would hold. The door was old, the whole house was falling out of sorts, so she knew that it could've failed at any moment. She clamped her eyes closed and waited for the next while.

It felt like ages until the rattling stopped. There was a long pause as it stood outside her door and she watched again and silently prayed that it would leave her door. Then, finally, she heard the heavy footsteps as it started down the hallway once again. The creaking and clanking eventually faded out of earshot and finally she was able to calm down. But not relax, and not sleep; she couldn't do either with that thing still here.

This was the turning point. This was the moment Millie realized that something had to be done. She had to get rid of the bear.

* * *

It was a typical afternoon. Everyone had just gotten back from lunch, save Liz who just left for lunch, and were slowly getting back into their work. Manning the desk was a man in his twenties with brunette hair and deep blue eyes, which were currently glaring down at an insurance form. Of all the things he had to get stuck doing it had to be liability paperwork, but he knew the second he didn't someone would wind up getting hurt on the job.

When the phone began to ring, he nearly sighed in relief, throwing down his pen and rolling his chair to the other side of the desk to answer the call. "Afton Robotics," he answered curtly.

"_Umm, uh… Hello." _The voice on the other side of the line sounded a bit younger than he expected and rather uncertain. _"You're the ones who take old animatronics, right?"_

"That's right," he answered. Though he was somewhat suspicious that this was the beginning of some sort of prank. "Refurbishments, repairs, and scrapping. What do you need?"

"_See I've got this animatronic bear here- I think it might be a Freddy Fazbear. You remember those old Freddy pizza places? But it's… It's broken down and I have to get rid of it."_

"I see… Well, we have certainly taken in our fair share of Freddys. One more shouldn't bankrupt us yet." This all still sounded odd, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity. Not when the caller's odd behavior could be linked directly to the fact that she was in possession of a Freddy Fazbear, one of the models most notorious for aggressive tendencies. "We'll need the address and we can come over to assess the animatronic for scrap value. I'm assuming you don't want it back even if we can repair it?"

"_No!... No, just- You can have it. Just hurry, please. The sooner the better." _She quickly gave him the directions to wherever she was, and the call ended.

The whole thing struck him as being odd but not too surprising. Whenever something came up this abruptly it usually was connected with an unhinged animatronic, and name-dropping Freddy Fazbear was the icing on the cake. At least it would get him away from his paperwork. He stood from the desk and headed into the repair garage.

The sound of a metal cutting saw echoed through the room and led him right to the other technician on duty. He was currently slicing through something metal at the saw table while a beaver animatronic laid on a nearby table with its chest open and most of its internals removed to reach the endoskeleton. It was El Chip of El Chip's Fiesta Buffet, one of the only customers they had that didn't have animatronics with 'quirks'.

He came up behind the other technician and tried to catch his attention. "Ben." The technician continued cutting through a long, thin metal pipe. "Ben!" Again, he couldn't hear him over the saw. _"Eggs!"_

Finally, the other technician raised the saw and stopped what he was doing. "Yeah?" he simply asked as he looked over the pipe with scrutiny. With the saw off, the first man walked around to the other side of the table so he wouldn't have to look at the back of his co-worker's head.

"We have a job. Someone called about a Freddy Fazbear they're trying to get rid of," he announced. This caught Eggs' attention and his head rose and brown eyes locked onto him. "But something was odd about the woman who called. She sounded very… Very…" He inhaled through his nose as he tried to put it into words, then finished with a defeated, "Like she's been dealing with a Freddy Fazbear."

"Good _grief!_ When was the last time we saw a real Freddy? And I'm not counting that weird knockoff, Nedd Bear. It's had to be a year at least." Eggs hopped up and tore off his safety goggles before discarding them on the table beside El Chip. "Let's get this show on the road!"

The other technician got a touch of an amused smile. "Didn't take much to convince you. Just remember grab a taser this time, I don't have my belt on," he reminded as he followed the other out. He muttered to himself as he did. "Let's hope this isn't a complete disaster."

The ride to the address was silent save for the radio. Eggs was driving the van, as he usually did, and the two technicians arrived at the location shortly. However, they were in for a bit of a surprise. The blue-eyed man slowly raised his head from his hand, arm propped on the window, and stared in confusion as they pulled up not to a pizzeria or franchise, but to a normal family home. From the outside it barely stood out at all.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Eggs asked in confusion.

"Absolutely," he answered. It was then that his eyes shifted, and he noticed someone sitting on the front steps. It looked like a teenage girl, but it was hard to see her face with her hood pulled up and her dark hair sticking out and shielding it. She looked up at the van as they approached, almost like she was expecting it. He realized she had to be the caller.

"Well, okay," Eggs said with a shrug. He pulled up in front of the house and shut off the van. Both got out as the girl stood and hastily approached the car.

"You're the woman who called about the Freddy Fazbear?" the blue-eyed technician asked. She nodded quickly; the dark rings under her eyes and the uneasy look were a dead giveaway. He offered her his hand. "I'm Michael Afton, I'm the one you talked to on the phone, and this is Ben Hansberry," he said as he gestured to the other technician coming around the car.

"Call me Eggs," Eggs chirped. He waited until the girl shook Michael's hand before looking back to the house. "So, where's this bear of yours?"

"It's inside. Here, I'll show you. Just… Stay close… You can get lost in there." The teenager muttered the last part under her breath as she started heading inside. She stopped on the steps to look back. "I'm Millie by the way." Michael nodded and Eggs smiled, and she opened the door for them. Both stared in surprise.

The house was packed. Even just the space around the front door was stacked with boxes and books that almost looked like neat piles, if not for there being so many of them.

"My God, it's a hoarder house," Michael mumbled to Eggs just quietly enough that Millie couldn't hear. Or if she did, she didn't care. He added quietly, "Watch your step," then ventured inside.

It was clearly a hoarding situation. Thankfully a clean one with the house crowded with things but not trash or refuse. There were walkways twisting all through the house too which explained how someone was living here easily enough to keep the outside looking normal. Millie twisted them around through a few rooms, down a hallway, and finally to a back room that looked like a workshop.

That was when the two technicians finally saw what they had been called there for. It stood in the back of the room and stared dead ahead. Almost like it was watching them walk in.

Unlike the typical Freddy Fazbear, made of brown fabric and looking closer to an oversized teddy bear, this one was covered in metal plates. It was white and a pinkish purple in coloring, but this paint was wearing away to the less impressive grey underneath. Its right arm looked a little strange, with a large gap halfway down its forearm. Almost like that part of its arm and hand were removable and just weren't attaching as well any longer. Both technicians recognized this as something much different to what they expected.

"Funtime Freddy. Now there's something you don't see every day!" Eggs said in awe as he adjusted his cap. He stepped closer without fear to look over the bear and whistled. "Looks like it's seen better days."

"It was bought in an auction and it's just been sitting back here. You can still take it even though it's not a Freddy Fazbear, right?" Millie asked in growing panic. It was becoming more apparent that she was anxious just standing in the room with the bear from how she kept looking at it. "Because we really need it out of the house."

"It doesn't change anything, it's just such a rare model that it's surprising to find one like this," Michael explained. Just looking at it gave him chills, knowing that it was the closest thing to an Afton Robotics original in circulation. He turned back to her while trying to hide his suspicion. "How did you get it?"

"…My grandfather bought it at an auction. I don't really know the details," Millie admitted. She averted her eyes and blatantly showed her guilt. So that was it, Michael realized, it wasn't hers to get rid of.

"Yeah, they don't make 'em like these anymore. Good thing too, because they were a walking mess. One of these breaks down and you have to get elbow deep in wires to get it fixed," Eggs rambled out nonchalantly. "About six-foot-tall, four hundred pounds-." He paused to knock on the belly which made a deep thumping noise. "And hollow on the inside, thank goodness." Michael's head snapped to the other technician quickly as though silently warning, Eggs shrugged it off. "Think the dolly'll be enough?"

"We'll make it work. I'm not driving all the way back to the factory just to get a slightly bigger cart," Michael affirmed. He decided not to voice his suspicions and instead just followed the other technician back to the van. Millie followed with them and wouldn't even wait inside the house as they got the things together to move the Freddy.

Or maybe that was because she knew what was coming.

"Move it further to the right… No, my right."

"So, left?"

"Your left, my right."

"Whatever direction it is it's a no-can-do. There's a table blocking me."

"Then move the table."

"And just magically erase all the stuff on top of it. Gotcha."

"Don't be a smartass, just- Forget it, _I'll _move the table… Forget it. Let's just try to get it closer to the wall."

"Which one, the one to my right or yours?"

Michael glared at Eggs' cheeky smile and remained silent for the duration of the ordeal. They still managed to maneuver the obtuse bear out of the house. It didn't move once the entire time, but then again it was never alone with either one of them. Neither had to say it out loud but neither wanted to be stuck alone with Funtime Freddy. They both knew how those models ticked; they weren't oversized teddy bears.

They were in the process of wheeling it to the van when another car pulled up to the house. An elderly man popped out of the driver's seat and upon seeing what was happening he hurried over.

"What on Earth is going on here?" the old man asked in shock. The workers stopped in their tracks. It was clear that the man had to be Millie's grandfather and neither knew exactly what to say. Each one expected the other to make a borderline sarcastic comment and when neither did so they were left in odd silence.

Eventually Michael spoke up. "We're from Afton Robotics Refurbishment and Repair. We were called about taking away a Freddy," he explained.

The old man looked utterly floored and shook his head. "No, there must be a mistake. I just purchased this last week-."

"Grandpa, there is no mistake. I called them to take it," Millie suddenly announced. She walked over from the steps with a firmly determined look on her face. "There's something wrong with it. I can't live in the same house with it anymore. Either it goes or I go." This seemed to shock the old man even more. To their surprise, instead of anger he got a look of sadness.

"Millie, I know you've been having a tough time recently, but that doesn't give you any right to sneak behind my back and try to sell my possessions. You must've known I would find out," he said. She looked away. "Now we've already talked about this. It doesn't even turn on, it can't possibly hurt you, and these nightmares will eventually pass. Now I know it's hard adjusting to a new school and with your parents-."

"It's not always me!" Millie snapped as she looked at him again. This time there was no guilt, just anger and betrayal. "You're not the one whose room it tries to get into at night! You're never awake when it's banging on my door or- or trying to yank off the doorknob to bust in! You just won't listen to me because you can't get rid of anything!"

Her grandfather seemed startled by the outburst, even more so than coming home to find someone wheeling away his newest purchase. Millie then looked towards Michael and Eggs, the former watching unbothered while the latter was looking anywhere but at her and her grandfather. She flushed in a mix of frustration and embarrassment and turned around to storm back into the house.

"Fine. Do whatever you want. I don't care," she half muttered before punctuating her sentence by slamming the door. She left behind a very uncomfortable silence.

Michael kicked Eggs' foot and the technician snapped to attention and asked, "So… What's the plan? Are we still taking Freddy here off your hands or are we…?" He trailed off when the older man shook his head.

"No. I will be keeping Freddy… My granddaughter has been under a lot of stress recently. She hasn't been living with me long and she's had to readjust to a new school and a new lifestyle. She's been having nightmares about this Freddy bot since I brought it home, but never did I thought she would go out of her way to do this…" He cut off with a sigh. "I'm sorry for wasting your time."

"It's fine. It got me out of the office," Michael excused. He shot a glance to Eggs before pulling out his wallet, retrieving a business card, and handing it over. "If you change your mind, we answer calls at all hours. We can get the animatronic back in working condition… Or we could take it off your hands for a price rivaling whatever you got for it," he tried to tempt. The old man smiled and put the card in his pocket but didn't look like he planned on changing his mind anytime soon.

"Let's just get him back off the dolly…" Eggs began as he started to take the animatronic off the cart in the middle of the yard. Michael sent him a confused look. If he would've caught on quickly enough, he would've helped him, and then they could've left before the old man innocently requested:

"Before you leave, would you two mind helping me get him back inside?"

The old man was merciful. He let them leave it in the overcrowded sitting room beside the front door. Finally, the two returned to the van and prepared to leave.

"Welp, that was uncomfortable," Eggs remarked as he started the van.

"Indeed, it was."

"He seemed like such a nice old guy and she just kind of exploded at him right while we were standing there. And, heh, I did notice that the neighbors were outside. Yikes…" Michael nodded in agreement and Eggs took a deep breath, then fully turned towards him. "So, we're in agreement: that bear's definitely walking around at night." Michael looked up from clicking on his seatbelt and raised a brow at him. "I get that kids can overreact and mood-swings and everything, but that's a Funtime Freddy, and we both know _all of them _walk at night."

"…Yes, I agree," Michael admitted. He looked back to the house with his own guilt. "I know that frustration she had. That wasn't a cry for attention, it was a cry for help."

"So, what do we do? The old man's not looking to sell and if we try coming to pick it up again we're probably going to get the cops called on us," Eggs pointed out. Michael didn't answer. "This isn't one of those 'maybe it's okay, maybe it'll just wander around' things. That thing's a Funtime, it's going to hurt someone."

"I know…" Michael stared at the house for a few moments longer before sighing. "Let's go. There's nothing more we can do here…" Eggs didn't seem sure- though neither was Michael- but began to drive back towards the factory. Hopefully they would get a call saying the old man changed his mind before someone got hurt.

Because when Funtime Freddy was involved, someone always got hurt.

* * *

Millie had spent the rest of the afternoon and evening in her bedroom. She didn't come out for meals, she didn't have much of an appetite, and only came out for a few moments to use the bathroom. Her grandfather gave her space thinking that she was trying to be alone, but that wasn't entirely what she was doing. It was more out of the growing dread towards Funtime Freddy.

She had the right to be afraid, because tonight it didn't wait until midnight to come to her door. She heard the footsteps coming and barely had time to prepare.

Hiding further into herself, Millie listened to the door as she couldn't see it at the angle she was laying. She had locked it, as usual, but the knob had been growing loose and she knew it wouldn't hold forever. It banged its fist on the door first, then shook the wood, and then finally grabbed at the handle. One thump, two, three, and then with a loud bang the bedroom door broke open.

Millie covered her mouth tightly to suffocate any noises as the footsteps now crossed the floor towards her bed. They were slow and heavy as the towering mechanical monstrosity approached and stood over the bed, standing over the girl. Then something happened that it hadn't done ever before. Something much worse.

"_**W-Wellll he-hello there, Birthday Gi-irl! I knew I'd fi-i-ind you eventu-tually!~"**_Funtime Freddy's voice sounded both broken and crazed, especially when his words were interrupted by snickers and giggles. He was borderline hysterical as he stared down at the form in the bed. The girl didn't say a word. _**"Aww! What's wro-ong? Don't ya- Don't ya wanna play with Fre-e-eddy Bear? I know things have been sooo-o-o-o hard fo-or you!"**_He only grew more threatening as his hulking form leaned over the bed.

"_**Wh-What didja say back there? What was that? You or me-e? If you're gonna be like that, the may-aybe it's best you just**__… _**Disappeared**_." _Its neck made a sickening crack as its head cocked in interest and the plates on its belly began to shift. It was almost like it was preparing to open. _**"But don't worry! We're gonna have sooo much fun before ya go! AhaHahAHA!"**_

With that last threatening laugh, the hideous animatronic tore into the bed to grab its prey.

But all it found was a mount of clothes hiding underneath the blankets.

At this moment, Millie climbed out from under the bed and ran out the bedroom door. As she ran through the dark, crowded hallway she could hear it yelling after her.

"_**H-Hey! No fair! Sad girls don't- don't get to have fu-un without Freddy~!"**_

Then his thundering footsteps began to follow. Though by now Millie was tearing around the corner to run towards her grandfather's room, if not for her crashing face-first into a stack of boxes blocking the way, knocking the whole thing over and falling atop the mess. Funtime Freddy had tried to block her way and it slowed her down as she fought to crawl over it.

"_**Ther-re you are!"**_he cried in victory as he ran for and swiped for her.

She yelped and just barely managed to climb over the mound and to her feet before he grabbed her hood and yanked her back. The fabric pulled up and choked her as he tried to reel her in, and she quickly pulled out of the hood and continued running. He waved the piece of clothing after her playfully as walked over the boxes. They flattened underneath each heavy step.

Millie continued running in a panicked frenzy until she made it to her grandfather's bedroom door which had been left ajar. She barged through and stared down an empty bed. The comforter had been tussled and half-dragged to the floor, some of the stuff on the bedside table had been knocked over, but her grandfather was nowhere to be seen. He was gone and she was alone.

Then her eyes fell on the landline phone he kept on his nightstand. She grabbed it and sat down on the other side of the bed to shield herself in case Funtime Freddy looked in. Originally she planned to call 911, except her finger paused over the buttons. They wouldn't believe her and even if they did, they might not be able to stop this thing. She hesitated a long moment before tapping in another number she remembered.

It took a few rings but someone eventually answered. _"Afton Robotics Refurbishment and Repair," _a female voice introduced. Millie didn't even wait to ask for one of the others.

"I need help. My name's Millie, I called earlier about a Freddy and two guys came out, but they didn't take it with them and now it's-!" She cut off her frantic whisper at a loud crashing in the house. It almost sounded like it came from the living room, so it was probably the television. He was still looking for her. "It's looking for me! You've got to send them back, it's going to kill us!"

"_I'll send them right over. Just try to stay calm, okay? Is there anywhere you can hide?"_ the woman asked. Even though she sounded calm she seemed to believe the girl. Millie swallowed thickly.

"I'm in my grandpa's bedroom now, I don't know where he is. All I know is that it's tearing apart the house looking for me," she whispered. "The windows in here are too small to climb out and the back door's blocked." He ran a hand through her hair and yanked at a tuft in frustrated anxiety. "God, there's so much garbage in this house that I can't get out!" Tears started to well in her eyes. "I don't know what to do…"

"_The most important thing is that you try to stay calm. I know that's hard to do right now, but if you keep calm then you can outsmart it. It's a Freddy Fazbear, right?"_

"That guy said it was a Funtime Freddy."

"_Oh… Right. That's a bear of a different color." _The woman fell silent and Millie almost thought she was just waiting on the line, but then she heard the dialing of a second phone.

She could hear the woman hiss lowly into the other receiver. _"Ben, get Michael out of bed and get your ass down to that Freddy house. It's an emergency." _A few moments later she added, hissing lower, _"You didn't tell me it was a Funtime. What were you thinking leaving that there?... I don't care about the old man! Next time this happens you find a way to get that bear."_

Millie sat silent as the woman ended the other call and returned to hers. _"They're on their way. You just try to sit tight and don't let him see you. I'll stay on with you and we'll just wait." _She silently agreed but she had a horrible feeling that she didn't have enough time for them to get here. She looked back at her grandfather's bed and had a horrible feeling that he was still somewhere in the house.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to find him if Funtime Freddy had already gotten to him.

* * *

Michael was ripped out of a dead sleep by someone shaking him vigorously. He began to shift and grumble as he slowly roused.

"Michael, get up," Eggs' voice was surprisingly alert and more serious than he had ever been. "I just got a call from Liz. Funtime Freddy's on the loose." In an instant, Michael shot up in bed.

"What?!" But Eggs was already running out of Michael's room and to his own. Michael threw off the blankets and leapt out of bed to yank on his pants. "I swear if this is a joke, Ben-!"

"It's not!" Eggs called back. He then ran into the living room, moving much quicker than the other technician and waiting anxiously at the door.

Michael staggered out shortly afterwards and barely yanked on his coat as he headed out the door. Eggs slammed the door behind them, locked it quickly, and made a mad dash for his car. Within a few minutes they were peeling down the road, him driving and Michael trying to rouse himself the rest of the way in the passenger's seat.

"I knew it. I knew this was going to happen if we left that bear in that house," Michael vented as he rubbed over his face. He pinched the bridge of his nose and huffed. "What exactly did Lizzie say?"

"Millie called and said Freddy was chasing her around the house. She's alone, Granddad's nowhere to be seen, and Lizzie's gonna ring me out next time I see her… Which'll be in a few minutes when we drop in to grab the van," Eggs rambled. He ran a hand through his brunette hair and tried to somewhat smooth it out as he slowed at a red light. "Middle of the night, nobody's out; got to hit the one red light in the city!"

"Forget getting the van. Just drive straight back to the house. We don't have the time to spare."

"…_What_?" Eggs looked at him like he was insane. "I don't know what you're think we're going to do, but we don't have anyof our equipment! How are we supposed to fight Freddy?!" In response, Michael reached into the compartment in between the seats, dug around, and then yanked out a taser. Amber eyes widened in surprise. "How long has that been in here?"

"Since a few months ago, when I specifically told you that I put it in here," Michael flatly answered.

"In my defense, I am half asleep."

"You say as though you weren't still awake watching re-runs of Tempest in a Teacup."

"You've seen that show, you don't have to be awake to watch it. Heck, the show's a lot better if you're not all there while you're watching it," Eggs mumbled. He then gave a defeated sigh. "Alright. Okay, we'll go in blind. Just… Let's both agree to be careful. No matter what happens, we have to be careful." Michael nodded in agreement. "…Should we go over a Plan B? In case we get there and Freddy's already… Finished?"

"Our job isn't finished until we finish off Funtime Freddy," Michael growled. His fingers were gripping so tightly at the taser that they were going white. Eggs decided not to continue with the questions. Chances were he wasn't going to like the answers anyway, and it wasn't long until they pulled up to the house.

All the lights were off and from the outside it looked like a normal night. That only made the two more wary; silence was usually a good sign in these cases. They got out and Eggs got the tire iron out of the back to bring with him. Michael gave it a somewhat wary look, but then gave him a silent thumbs up. They headed to the house and tried the front door; locked. Next, they started circling the house and checking the windows. One was left unlocked in the back of the house, letting into a room that was packed with items and looked seldom used.

It was a tight squeeze and Michael was halfway through when a loud crashing noise echoed through the house. It was followed immediately by a woman's scream.

"He's got her!" Eggs choked from outside. Michael's eyes widened and he shoved himself the rest of the way through the window, not caring when he landed half on his face in the process. He gripped the taser tighter and ran for the door, not even waiting for the other technician. "Michael, be careful! Don't let it get you!" Eggs called. His voice already trailing off the further Michael got into the house.

The screaming was coming from near the front door and he ran towards it, climbing over fallen items and tearing down the hallway. He then came around the corner and stopped short as he saw the source of the screams and the horror that was transpiring…

* * *

Millie knew that eventually Funtime Freddy would find her. She tried to ignore the nagging voice in the back of her head that warned her he would come back and instead listen to the woman on the line. She had been there the whole time whispering quiet assurances that they would be there soon and take care of everything. Though by now Millie was only paying half attention and it was largely because of the footsteps that were returning to the bedroom door.

"I think it's coming back," she whispered. The woman, she had introduced herself as Liz, gave a disapproving hum.

"_We knew there was a chance of that happening. I need you to do exactly what I say, alright? I need you to find a place to hide, preferably by the door. But not behind the door because that never works. Now once you're hidden you will need to stay as still and quiet as you can, no matter what, and wait until Freddy gets far enough into the room for you to run out. Then get out of the house. Can you do that for me?"_

"I'll do it," Millie agreed. "I…I'm going to hang up now."

"_You're going to be okay," _Liz finished.

Right after the teenager hung up, she began to look around for a hiding spot. Freddy was getting closer, yelling for her down the halls- _**"Oh, Birthday Giiiiirl!~"**_-and the few hiding spots she had were both obvious and nowhere near the door. Under the bed wouldn't work a second time, the closet was already too crammed with stuff to even close and hiding behind the door wasn't an option when there was already a dresser behind it. The only thing that almost looked like it would work, though poorly, was the armchair in the corner.

If she hid behind the armchair, then there was a slim chance that he could pass by without seeing her. Then she could sneak out the door. Though because its back corner was against the wall, she would still have to circle around it to get out. It was better than the alternatives and she quietly hurried over and crouched down behind it. She hid beside a small stack of books and tried to make herself disappear.

Within a few moments, Funtime Freddy slammed open the door and staggered inside. Millie covered her mouth and tried to control her breathing.

"_**The-ere's no use hiiiding, Silly! I already know you'r-r-re in he-ere!" **_Funtime Freddy mocked as he took a few heavy steps into the room. He slowly turned to scan the entire room and when he didn't see her, he began to approach the bed. _**"Come out, come out, wherever you aaaa-a-arrre!" **_

Millie started to stand just in time see Funtime Freddy reach down and grab the edge of the bed. He began to lift the whole frame to look underneath, an incredible and terrifying feat of strength. She held her breath as she slowly crept around the armchair. Right when she was passing in front of the armchair the floor gave the quietest squeak. Freddy dropped the bed and turned around just in time for his eyes to land on her.

"_**TH-THERE YOU ARE!"**_

She didn't wait a second longer and ran out of the bedroom. His heavy footsteps could be heard thundering through the halls as he tore after her and his crazed laughter seemed to echo off the walls. It was disorienting in the dark and claustrophobic house, but she stuck to the plan, she stuck to what Liz said and ran to the front of the house. She noticed quickly that most of the doorways had been blocked by heavier furniture and realized he had sealed off any alternate escape routes.

She climbed over spilled objects and fought through mounds of items threatening to entomb her, all while he continued to steadily approach from behind. Each heavy step getting closer and closer. Finally, she made it to the front door, but it wasn't the welcome sight she had hoped for.

Of course the bear had known she would run for the door, so he had done all he could to make reaching it impossible. A cabinet, stacked chairs, broken and overflowing boxes, the coffee table; it was a wall of things stacked precariously in an attempt to keep her from getting out, and now she was cornered in the front. Panicked and desperate, Millie began to start ripping boxes down and trying to tip over the furniture. All it did was make more of a mess that was even harder to move, making it so that when she did reach the knob she couldn't physically open the door.

The lights from Freddy's glowing eyes fell upon her. She looked back in horror to see the tall bear staring down at her. He gave a dark laugh.

"_**Aww, leaving s-so soon? Don'tcha wanna join the pa-party? I think we can fit you in…" **_There was a loud cracking noise as his belly began to open. Its plates separated and its wires shifted to reveal the hatch of a storage tank hiding underneath, which then unlocked and swung open to show what was hiding on the inside.

There, trapped inside of the machine and looking pale and struck by a fear she had never seen before, was her grandfather.

"_**Room for o-one mooore!~" **_Funtime Freddy trilled. He lashed out and grabbed her arm before ripping her in close and starting to force her inside. Millie screamed and began trying pull away, beating her fist on his face and kicking him wherever she could, but it did nothing. His grip was so tight that it almost cut of circulation as it reeled her in.

"No, stop! Please! Not her!" her grandfather yelled. His voice was hoarse, like he had been yelling from inside the suit, but nobody had been able to hear him. "Just take me! Let her go!"

"_**Try to ke-e-ep your arms and legs in or this is gonna hurt a lot mor-r-re,"**_ Funtime Freddy sadistically trilled. _**"Old guys got thin bones, r-right? Be careful where you put you-ur feet! Ah ha ha!"**_

She continued to scream as she was forced into Funtime Freddy's chest, with her legs bending and already starting to crush against her trapped grandfather. She tried to fight against it, yelling frantically for help, barely heard over the crazed laughter from above. He started trying to forcefully close the hatch on her, pressing his hands down on it, forcing her in. Something was about to crack.

And it did, but it wasn't the crack of bones. It was the crack of electricity surging into Funtime Freddy.

The bear began to violently seize as Michael administered the controlled shock directly to the back of its neck. Plates shuddered, joints tightened, but it stayed standing in place, and the electricity forced into its circuits didn't spread to the two in its belly. As soon as the shocking ended, Freddy's head dropped forward like it had powered down, twitching only slightly.

Millie pressed back on the hatch only to find that the bear's arm was no longer holding it closed. She fell out onto her backside and Michael came around to drag her back from the bear. She stopped him and instead pointed desperately back into Funtime Freddy. "Get Grandpa!"

"What?" Michael raised his head and only then saw the old man cramped inside of the suit. He gawked at the sight and it was only until her grandfather started to try climbing out that he realized he was still alive, and the rushed in to grab him and start dragging him out.

It was right then that Funtime Freddy's eyes started to glow again. Millie noticed it before the two men did and warned them, "It's waking up!" Michael decided to risk his own safety and instead of moving away he kept trying to get the old man out. In one final tug, he yanked her grandfather out of the bear and onto the floor and looked up just in time to see Funtime Freddy's arm swinging down at him.

It was like getting hit by log and Michael fell back against the wall so hard that it knocked pictures off the wall. Millie reached for her grandfather and helped him crawl out of the way before Funtime Freddy could step on him in his pursuit of the technician. They huddled in the corner and looked on as the bear took another swing at Michael. This time he ducked to the side and the fist hit the wall, leaving a sizable hole. He thought he had an opening and tried to last out with the taser.

Unfortunately, Funtime Freddy had been baiting him, as it expected enough to grab him by the wrist and twist it painfully. Michael didn't drop the taser but had no chance of using it. He was pinned back into the wall painfully as the bear's hands grabbed and twisted him. It laughed giddily and stared down at him sadistically with its big, blue eyes.

"_**What's wrong, Kiddo? Wa-Wanna join the f-fun too? Sure! A-A-Alll of you can fit!..." **_Funtime Freddy started to pull at his arms outwards, slowly adding more and more pressure. Its faceplates popped open as it leaned in closer, its teeth threateningly close. It was reeking of old metal and a decade of decay. _**"But you're gonna have to l-looose the arms fi-irst!" **_

Michael only had a second to process the threat before a tire iron swung out of nowhere and cracked Funtime Freddy in his uncovered face. Its head was knocked back with a metallic clanking, but this didn't stop Eggs from swinging again and cracking down with all his strength. Michael used the distraction to his advantage and fought with the arms still holding him, barely managing to get his left arm free, getting the taser from his right, and then stabbing the item under the opened plates and against Funtime Freddy's exposed power module.

This caused the bear's body to lock up much more severely than before. That didn't stop Eggs from hitting again and causing Funtime Freddy's head to crack back so far that it became detached, hanging from the neck by a bundle of wires. This was what finally took the bear down. It staggered in place, turning and reaching for the technician- who was yanked aside by his partner- until it stumbled over fallen debris and collapsed to the floor. It shuddered in place before finally shutting down.

There was silence as the humans stared at the downed animatronic. Slowly, Millie's grandfather began to lean forward so he could see the bear better. "…Is that it?" he asked.

"…Yes. For now," Michael unconvincingly answered. He slowly released Eggs, who he had been keeping a death grip on. "…But we're not putting it in the car like this."

"I'm way ahead of you," Eggs remarked. He looked back to the old man. "Hey, uh, Old Timer? You don't happen to have some power tools around here? Maybe just a… An axe at least?"

"An axe?" the old man seemed confused by the suggestion. He wasn't about to argue though and pointed off into the house. "There should be one in my workshop. Somewhere, if you just look around…" He was still in shock, looking at the bear's legs that still stuck out in view. The full brunt of what happened finally hit him and he turned to his granddaughter. "Millie, I'm so sorry I didn't listen! I- I had no idea this could possibly happen-! …And I almost got us both killed…"

Millie was just as overwhelmed with emotion. Her eyes started to sting with tears of relief and frustration, and she turned away so he wouldn't see them. He still knew they were there and hugged her close.

"I promise things are going to be different. I-I'm going to listen from now on and I'm going to be the grandfather you need… Starting with fixing the house." He looked around at his collection, which had nearly led to both of them being crushed to death. Even if he had escaped his bedroom, he wouldn't have been able to get away from the bear like this. "I'm going to fix this, I promise."

Mille didn't say anything, she just silently hugged him back. The two continued to hold themselves as they tried to recover from their ordeal. Michael and Eggs watched from a few feet away.

"Guess I'll go get that axe. We might fit him in the backseat if we can break up the plates a little," Eggs said. He pulled Michael aside for a moment and lowered his voice. "I know Freddy's not worth anything to us, but he might be worth something to _them_," he hinted. Michael knew what he meant and nodded in understanding. He couldn't do anything now though; he didn't even grab his wallet on his way out the door. He watched the other technician leave before turning back to Millie and her grandfather.

They were starting to calm down even when it was clear that tonight traumatized them both. Compared to earlier their behavior towards each other was like night and day. It was a shame that it took this to bring them together, but Michael couldn't deny that it was nice to see that another family wasn't broken apart. They needed more time alone and he gave it to them, turning back to the bear and glaring down at it.

For a Funtime Freddy it went down awfully quick. Suspiciously quick, but he couldn't tell how old it was or how much previous damage it had. The faded paintjob suggested that it had been around for years but Funtime animatronics, even when old and broken, were surprisingly resilient. He tried to push these thoughts aside when Eggs returned so he could focus on the job of breaking the bear apart.

Plates were broken, wires were sliced, and over the next twenty or so minutes the two technicians crudely broke down the animatronic until it could be carried out to the car. Then they spent another twenty minutes just to uncover the door. Once Funtime Freddy was in their car they returned to the house to tell the two waiting inside.

"As soon as we leave here we'll be heading straight for the factory where we will finish 'securing' Funtime Freddy. You can both rest easy… I know you won't, but you can," Michael explained as he looked between the two. They still looked shaken and exhausted even though neither suffered more than a few scrapes and bruises. "I think this goes without saying, but you shouldn't take this to the authorities. Incidents like this have happened and getting the police involved has never helped."

"…Wait… This has happened before?" Millie asked in disbelief. She had been so quiet since Freddy fell and only found her voice when she heard this. "There's been others like this?"

"Yeah, this town doesn't exactly have a clean record. Everyone just likes to pretend that it does, but hey, whatever gets them through the day," Eggs said with a shrug. He gave a bright smile. "BUT! You can be sure that we aren't going to take any chances! Second Freddy gets back to the factory he's going straight into the fire."

Relief passed Millie's face. Her grandfather didn't look as assured. "I suppose this was why it went so low at the auction… A public auction. Anyone could have bought that bear. It could've gone to a family with children…" He reeled from this revelation and nearly collapsed back onto the couch, head on his hand, voice breathy. "Thank goodness we're not dead…!"

"Which reminds me," Michael said to change the subject. "Funtime Freddy is worth his weight in scrap and you are entitled to compensation for that alone. Maybe not enough to get back what you put into him, but at least enough to… Fix everything he broke while he was in here." Or maybe not even that. He wouldn't say it out loud but one glance at Eggs showed that he was thinking it too. "I'll come back tomorrow with my checkbook and we'll get you covered. For now, we should take our leave. Try to have a safe night."

Michael began to follow Eggs out to the front door and Millie perked. She turned back to her grandfather and reached down to squeeze his shoulder. "I'll be right back," she said. He nodded without protest and let her follow the technicians out to the front door. She stopped in the doorframe.

"Hey," she started tentatively, and Michael turned back to face her. She brushed her dark hair back and out of her face before doing something he didn't quite expect; she smiled. Even with everything that happened, she gave him a smile. "Thanks for coming back."

It was only fair to return that smile. "It was no trouble. Take care." Michael waited for her to shut the front door before he turned away, the smile still lingering on his face. It dropped the instant he looked up and saw Eggs' much-too-eager grin. "What's that look?" he asked flatly.

"Oh, nothing," Eggs dismissed. He was still grinning as he turned to go around to the driver's side and got in. Michael rolled his eyes and climbed into the passenger's seat.

"No, I saw that look. She's virtually half my age and the closest we got was when I was trying to pry her out of a bear. Don't even think about it," he remarked as he settled in. He set the taser on the seat beside him, not yet willing to return it to the center console. Not when Freddy hadn't been disposed of yet. Eggs turned on the car and began to drive down the road.

"I wasn't saying anything! Well, not about you. You know teenagers really go for that dark and brooding thing you do." Michael scoffed and leaned against the window. "So, after we deep-fry Freddy, what do you say we swing by and pick up some burgers? Or tacos, I'm flexible."

"Ben, it's after midnight," Michael pointed out. The other technician was entirely unphased. "…Alright, fine. We'll gorge ourselves and forget tonight ever happened." Eggs smiled wider and turned back to the road to continue driving back towards the factory.

Until an arm of wires reached around the seat and wrapped around his neck.

Eggs choked and clawed at the wires around his neck with one hand. There behind his seat was the wire endoskeleton of Funtime Freddy. Most of its plates had fallen off, save a few still attached tightly to the head, and its once hulking body was now just a mat of compressed wires struggling to keep itself together long enough to kill the technician.

Michael reacted immediately. He grabbed his taser and leaned between the seats to try and reach Funtime Freddy's head. The bear's loose neck lolled to the side to dodge while crackling with static-filled laughter. He almost made the mistake of going for the arm wrapped around the seat, but then realized that it was too close to Eggs. These raw wires would easily pass that electricity into his body straight through the neck.

No longer receiving oxygen, Eggs began to panic and finally lost control of the car. It swerved off the road and into a ditch, throwing Michael back into his seat, doing nothing to jar loose Freddy. The technician opened the door and tried to escape, but the wires followed as Funtime Freddy smoothly slipped between the seats before Michael could even recover enough to shock him. Funtime Freddy threw the weight of his wire body, with some plates and bits still hanging from it, onto Eggs' back and took him to the ground.

"_**Wh-Wh-Wh-What a-a-a pa-pa-pa-rrrrrrrtttttrrrrrr…" **_Funtime Freddy's distorted voice mocked. Its wires slithered tighter around the man's neck while the other hand grabbed for his mouth and slipped his fingers inside, trying to choke him and stifle any possibility of air getting through. _**"Sh-Sh-Sh-Shuuuuuut-t-t-t-t do-do-dowwwn!"**_

Michael made it around the car and grabbed at Funtime Freddy to try and yank him back. Though by now he realized that Eggs was too ensnared. If he used the taser at all he would be shocked too, and he couldn't trust that his heart could handle it if he was already suffocating. Not when Funtime animatronics required so much more voltage. He needed something else and fast.

His gaze fell on the tire iron still on the backseat. Funtime Freddy hadn't even bothered with it. Michael took the weight in his shaking hand, body pumping with adrenaline and anger, and turned to strike the bear. Its head was knocked back momentarily and he could stare into its cracked, blue eyes. Still mocking, still full of bloodlust. Michael thrust the tire iron into its eye and listened to the satisfying crunch of metal parts.

He pressed it in further, taking Freddy to the ground even though its wires still held tightly to Eggs, and used all his strength and weight to press the tire iron further into the head. There was no mercy as he did so.

Michael just pretended it was his father and it all came naturally.

With a loud, cracking pop, the tire iron broke through the circuits in the center of Funtime Freddy's skull. A shock travelled up the tire iron and burned Michael's hands, causing him to recoil, but the deed was already done. The animatronic flailed for only a few more seconds before it finally shut down for good.

Without even a moment to breathe, Michael sprung for Eggs and helped him unwind the wires from his neck. The strangled technician's hands had started to become clumsy with the lack of oxygen, but he began to grow livelier the second he was able to suck in a deep breath. It was almost knocked back out of him when Michael clutched him close and held on for dear life.

This time Eggs had no comment. He seemed to be in shock as they sat on the dirt beside a mangled bear and he caught his breath. His neck was aching already and he knew it would bruise tomorrow. They both would. Michael was eerily silent as they stared at Funtime Freddy. Now it looked much less like a pizzeria performer and more like a hunk of scrap metal waiting for the fire.

"…Well, that happened," Eggs muttered with a lifeless chuckle. He slowly stood while rubbing over his sore throat. "Come on, let's get him back in the car. Nobody needs to see this." Michael nodded stiffly and followed his lead. "…But this time, put him behind your seat."

There were few words exchanged as they continued to Afton Robotics, where another of the Funtime monstrosities was melted down into nothingness. They still picked up the burgers on the way home.

It wasn't like either of them would be sleeping anyway.

_**FIN**_


End file.
